It was an impressive year, with 291 entries across 18 categories in the Houston PaperCity Design Awards. At the annual celebration, winning designers and architects were announced, and, for the first time, the event served as the kickoff to the week-long, schedule-packed Texas Design Week Houston.

Lead underwriter for both the Awards presentation and Texas Design Week was West Avenue, where an expansive space was transformed for Awards night, and served as headquarters for Texas Design Week with keynotes, panel discussions, forums, pop up shops and a Rizzoli bookstore. Richard Flowers of The Events Company transformed the venue with yards and yards of boxwood, black-and-white stripes, and plaster-white French paneling.

Charismatic L.A. designers Martyn Lawrence Bullardand Mark D. Sikes, who served as two of the four judges for this year’s awards, flew in to present the awards and to take part in Texas Design Week as keynote speakers. New York designer Katie Ridder and architect Peter Pennoyer also judged entries. Winning designers and architects received elegant Andre-Putman-designed Christofle trays, presented by Christofle’s Houston general manager Fausto Villeda.

Following the awards presentation, winning designers and architects celebrated, enjoying wine from Duchman Family Winery and Fall Creek Vineyards and cocktails with Deep Eddy Vodka, and bites by Canopy Catering.